Thursday, January 01, 2009

So last year I got things off on the wrong foot with a wrasslin' pack. The pack was good - I got Dusty Rhodes and an Undertaker mini card - but I still feel like I made a misstep opening the new year with that pack. I mean, just look at the results... we got UDX, Upper Deck Documentary, 47 super short printed 'error' gimmick cards and 2008 Topps Updates and Highlights Presents 2008 Topps Heritage High Numbers From 501-720 Now With Extra 2008 Updates and Highlights Cards and Nasty Sour Gum For No Discernable Reason Which You'll Have To Buy Because You Already Busted Half A Case Of the Original Series. I can't inflict that horror on the collecting community again by choosing a bad pack to open up with. So after careful deliberation, meditation and prayer, I've come up with the perfect pack to kick off 2009 right:

Grease is the word, beeyotches!

KIDDING.

No, I would never do that to you. I'll probably never open that pack, actually. The thing scares me. Just look at that demented look on Sandy's face. If I open that pack demons from the pit of Hell will swarm out and melt my face. Nope, I'm not opening it. I will threaten you all with it from time to time though. No the pack I have chosen for my first rip of 2009 is this:

1987 Fleer Cello pack. Aaaah, now that's a good pack! 1987 is now and will forever be the absolute best set Fleer ever made. The light blue gradient borders, the full career states with scouting reports on the back, the crystal ball looking stickers... it's all freaking brilliant. This set was so incredible, they had to leave out the Greg Maddux rookie card because that would have made it too awesome, and no one would print another baseball card ever again because it would be impossible to top such a perfect set. I picked out a good cello pack too, with Hall of Famer Tony Perez on the front....

and soon to be Hall of Famer Jim Rice on the back. That's already a helluva pack and I haven't even seen what's inside yet. the wrapper has an ad for an official Fleer Collector's album with 10 side loading plastic sheets plus 8 cards and a sticker for only $7.95. Man, I wish I had bought that! There's also the chance at 'Limited Edition" cards in these packs. The cello packs have "1987 All Star Team" cards randomly inserted. Maybe there's one in here! Time to open 'er up.

209 Tony Perez - This card has his final career stats on the back. 2732 hits, 379 homers and 1652 RBIs.

299 Jeff Lahti - Unfortunately for Jeff this also has his career stats on the back. Lifetime 3.12 ERA with a 17-11 record and 20 saves in five seasons with the Cardinals.

167 Alan Trammell - The Awesome increases. One of these days Hall of Fame voters are going to look at all the plaques on the wall, realize Alan's isn't up there and then slap themselves of the forehead and exclaim "WHAT WERE WE THINKING?!?!?" One day...

194 Tom Browning - Reds are well represented so far. From 1985-1991 Tom was a workhorse.

451 Jerry Reuss - The scouts on the back of the card say Jerry had an awesome slider. 220 wins don't lie...

530 Bruce Sutter - Another Hall of Famer, this one sporting the powder blues. That goes to show just how good Bruce was, that he got in the Hall even with those terrible Braves years dragging him down.

180 Shane Rawley - That... is an unfortunately placed leg in the background.

12 Keith Hernandez - Man, this pack gets better and better. Keith is seriously underrated and was one of the best defensive first basemen of all time, if not THE best. He's eligible to get on the Veteran's Committee Hall of Fame ballot in2011. So Met fans, is he as good a TV analyst as a first baseman?

Better than a wrestling pack, but not better than a Grease pack! (sorry, that was written by my daughter).

1987 Fleer is awesome. And so is that Jim Traber clip. He can MOVE. Sort of.

Keith Hernandez isn't nearly as good a broadcaster as a first baseman. But he is interesting to listen to in a kind of Phil Rizzuto way. You never know what he's going to say. He once went on a five-minute riff about Whiteout. And there was a story about how he survived a tornado when he was in the minors that's hysterical.

Keith is a fun announcer. He does ok as an analyst, but he's really nothing special.

He's at his best during one-sided games, when he has free rein to be wacky. Sometimes it works well, other times -- like the San Diego trainer comment -- it leaves you wondering if he'll be able to keep his job.

Where to begin, first of all, it's clear 2009 will be an awesome year. I had a roommate named Tim Burke, we glossed him Timburkulosis, not the best, but it's something. And did that dude for the Pirates wear #69? How many MLB'ers have worn that gem? The third leg card is stellar. Word to the best blog in Oregon.